Miss Independent
by Megs23
Summary: COMPLETE!! **N/S** Sara thinks she's pregnant... Grissom gets out of surgery... Awesome summary isn't it?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Miss Independent

Author: Megan

Pairing: Nick/Sara, Grissom/Catherine (They're only in the first chapter, though. It's not much)

Rating: PG 13 (Yes, it's probably rated too high, but I'm just playing' it safe.)

Spoilers: Seasons 1-3 are fair game.

Summary: Sara thinks she's pregnant, and Grissom gets out of surgery. 

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters on CSI. I only own the ones I make up on my own. But can I just borrow Nick when he's not working or something? 

A/N: My response to a challenge. 

For story purposes, Hank and Sara broke up after around the time Play with Fire took place. Let's just say Crash and Burn and PWF happened in the same week. 

**Grissom's House**

He had been away from his home for what seemed like a month, but in reality it had only been 4 days. His surgery had been successful. Grissom felt like he had his life back. When before he was constantly wondering if his hearing would fade, or not, now he didn't have to worry at all. 

Grissom was just getting ready to fix himself some dinner when there was a knock at his door.

"Uncle Grissom!" Lindsey shouted after the door was opened. 

"Hey princess," Grissom said, kneeling down to give the 9 year old a hug.

"Mommy said you were in the hospital. Are you OK?" Grissom looked from the little girl up to Catherine. She gave him a small smile, which he returned. 

Catherine had come to visit him the 4 days he was in the hospital, but she never brought Lindsey with her. He was happy to see the little girl. 

"Yes, Linds, I was in the hospital for a few days, but don't you worry. I'm all better now." Grissom moved out of the way so Catherine and her daughter could come into his townhouse. 

"I was just getting ready to make some dinner. Would you two like to join me?" Grissom asked leading them into the kitchen. 

"Yeah, Mommy, can we stay, please?" Lindsey grabbed onto her mothers hand and looked up at her with begging eyes.

  
"Are you sure?" Catherine asked Grissom.

"Of course."

**Sara's Apartment**

Sara woke up only 2 hours after she had gotten home from work. She felt like she was going to be sick. 'Its probably stress' she thought. After everything with Hank, and then the lab exploding, it was no wonder she didn't break down every time she walked through that lab. But somehow she managed to keep her composure. 

She rolled over and looked at her alarm clock. 10:12 am. Sara hadn't been able to sleep much for the past week, but she usually got more than 2 hours. 

Suddenly she felt her stomach lurch, and rushed to the bathroom, before spilling any of the vomit on her bed sheets. Maverick, the dog she had adopted after one of her many cases, trotted into the bathroom, and sat down next to Sara.

"Oh God!" She breathed, as the last bits of her Chinese food from the night before left her mouth. Sara rinsed her mouth with water, and then some mouth wash. She still didn't feel much better, so she went back into her bedroom, and crawled into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. 

**CSI Lab**

It was Grissom's first night back, and he couldn't have been happier. He walked in with Catherine. She had dropped Lindsey off at her sister's, gone home to grab a shower, and then went back to Grissom's house to pick him up. She had insisted on driving him everywhere since he had just gotten out of the hospital. 

They walked into the break room, where a big sign read, "Welcome Back, Bugman!" Nick, Warrick, Greg, and Brass were all in there waiting for him. 

"Thanks, guys!" Grissom exclaimed giving them each a hearty handshake and light hug. "I really appreciate it."

"Cath told us that it went well. I just wish you would have told us all sooner." Warrick said.

"Sorry, but I just couldn't. Hey, where's Sara?"

Greg piped up. "I don't know. She was really pissed off. Last I saw her she was going to the bathroom." He then motioned to Catherine. "Looks like that's your turf."

"Yeah. I'll go check on her." Catherine turned to Grissom, and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm glad you're back." Then she walked down the hall to the bathroom.

Inside she found Sara bent over a sink, splashing water on her face.

"Hey, you OK?" Catherine asked.

"I don't know, Cath."

"Wanna talk about it? Is it Hank?"

Sara turned to face the other woman. "No. And before you ask, it has nothing to do with the explosion either." Sara had a bit of bitterness attached to every word.

"Come on. Let's go back to the break room."

"Wait." Sara started. "Cath… I think I might be pregnant."

Catherine's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. "What? How do you know?"

"Well, first of all, my period is late. By almost a week now." Sara's gaze dropped to the floor.

"It could just be stress, though, Sara. You've been through a lot." Catherine took a step toward the younger woman, and placed a hand on her shoulder. 

"But I feel the same way I did the first time." 

Catherine was confused now. "The first time?" She asked.

Sara looked up, just realizing what she had said. "Um. Nothing. I have to go." With that Sara was gone. She walked quickly down the hall, and out the door. Since she technically wasn't supposed to be working, she figured no one would even notice she wasn't there. She got to her car, and leaned her back up against the driver's side door.

Miss independent  
  


Miss self-sufficient  
  


Miss keep your distance  
  


Miss unafraid  
  


Miss out of my way  
  


Miss don't let a man interfere, no  
  


Miss on her own  
  


Miss almost grown  
  


Miss never let a man help her off her throne  
  


So, by keeping her heart protected  
  


She'd never ever feel rejected  
  


Little miss apprehensive  
  


Said ooh, she fell in love

Sara finally let go of the tears she had been holding onto. There was no way she was pregnant. Not again. The first time she had been so young. She was still in college, only 21 years old. Her boyfriend, Joe, had come home over to her apartment after she had gotten home from a wild party. She was totally drunk, and they had sex. Unprotected sex, no less. 

She had regretted that night for so long. 

Sara ended up getting pregnant from that night. 

She found out a month and half later, when she was taken to the hospital for severe abdominal pain, and heavy bleeding, that due to stress from school, and the fact that she hadn't been eating right for the past few months, she had had a miscarriage. 

Soon after, she had broken up with Joe. She never even told him about her miscarriage. Joe had died a week later in a car accident. Some of his friends had blamed Sara for it. They said he was so upset because of her dumping him, and he wasn't thinking straight. Even though Sara knew they were wrong, she still felt guilty about it. 

Sara had learned to forget about Joe and her unborn baby, but now that she was possibly pregnant again, all the memories came flooding back. And she knew that the only possible father would be Hank. And she never ever wanted to see him again. Not after he had hurt her so bad, and used her to cheat on his girlfriend. 

"Sara?"

She looked up to see Nick running towards her. She quickly wiped the tears off her face, knowing damn well that he was still going to be able to tell she had been crying. She didn't even want to know how bad she looked. 

Sara dug in her pocket for her car keys, but Nick grabbed her hand before she could stick the key in the door, and escape him.

"Hey. I got kinda worried about you." The sound of his soft voice made her want to start crying all over again.

What is this feelin' takin' over?  
  


Thinkin' no one could open my door  
  


Surprise...It's time  
  


To feel what's real  
  


What happened to Miss Independent?  
  


No longer need to be defensive  
  


Goodbye, old you  
  


When love is true

"I just needed to get out of there. It's my night off. I need to go. Maverick is sick. I'll call Griss later. I have to go," Sara spit everything out at once.

Nick placed a finger under her chin, and lifted her head up so he could get a better look at her face. "I'll take you home." He didn't even need an explanation. He moved his hand down to hers and pulled the keys from it. He then led her over to the passenger side, and opened the door for her.

"Nick…"

"Sara, get in, and don't argue with me."

She did as she was told, and Nick shut the door. He walked over to the driver's side of the Tahoe, and hopped in. 

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Same disclaimers as usual.

A/N: For story purposes, Hank and Sara broke up after around the time Play with Fire took place. Let's just say Crash and Burn and PWF happened in the same week. 

Miss guided heart  
  


Miss play it smart  
  


Miss if you want to use that line you better not start, no  
  


But she miscalculated  
  


She didn't want to end up jaded  
  


And this miss decided not to miss out on true love  
  


So, by changing her misconceptions  
  


She went in a new direction  
  


And found inside she felt a connection  
  


She fell in love.

Sara watched the building pass by outside the window of the Tahoe. Neither she nor Nick had said a word since they left the lab's parking lot. She watched as the drug store came into sight, and then she thought of something.

"Nick, stop here."

He could barely even hear her pained voice, but he did as he was told. 

"I'll be right back." 

"Sara?"

She started to get out of the car. "Just give me 5 minutes." And with that she was gone.

Nick watched as she made her way into the drug store. 'I wonder what she's up to.' He thought. He turned on the radio, and sat in silence waiting for her.

What is this feelin' takin' over?  
  


Thinkin' no one could open my door (open my door)  
  


Surprise...It's time (yeah)  
  


To feel what's real  
  


What happened to Miss Independent?  
  


No longer need to be defensive  
  


Goodbye (goodbye), old you (oh you)  
  


When love, when love is true

Nick smiled at the lyrics to the song. Sara was "Miss Independent". In the 3 years he had known her, she had always been on her own. Even when she was with Hank, she never let anyone tell her what to do. He admired her. She was so strong, at least she was on the outside. Only a few times had he known her to break down. And even then, she never let much of anything show on the outside. 

Her laugh alone could make him want to laugh, too. 

Nick's thoughts were soon interrupted by the passenger side door opening. Sara got in, shut the door, and fastened her seatbelt. She had a small paper bag in her tight grasp. 

He turned the radio off. "Ready?"

She only nodded her head, and turned to stare outside the window.

A few long minutes later, Nick pulled into the parking lot of Sara's apartment complex. Sara quickly got out, and started walking to her door. When she got there, she realized that Nick still had her keys.

She turned around and bumped into Nick, who had just as quickly followed her.

"I need my key."

Nick moved passed her and opened the door. She only had 3 keys on her key ring, so it didn't take much for him to figure out which one would open the door. 

Sara walked inside, and Nick followed her.

"You can go now."

"Sara."

"Nick, please?" She didn't even bother turning around to look at him. She held the bag from the drug store tightly in her hands.

Nick shut the door, and moved closer to her. He put a hand on her shoulder, and turned her body to face his. He could see a few tears falling down her cheeks. "You want anything to eat?" He asked her.

Sara wondered why he hadn't asked her what was wrong. She always loved that about Nick. He never pushed. "No."

"Well, do you wanna watch some TV? Saturday Night Live is on. Do you ever watch that? It's pretty good. Not as good as it used to be, but it's still pretty good." Nick moved over to the TV, and flipped it onto the right station. 

Sara sat down on the couch in front of the TV, and Nick joined her. Neither of them was really paying attention, but neither said a word.

About an hour later, Nick woke up. He felt something wet on his hand. 

"What the?" He looked down to see Maverick sitting on the couch with him.

He patted the small dog, and then remembered why he was where he was. 

Sara. 

He lifted his head, but didn't see her anywhere. 

"Sara?" He called out into the darkness.

He got up and walked down the hall. The only light came from the crack underneath a closed door. Because Nick had already passed what he guessed was Sara's bedroom, he only assumed this was the bathroom. 

He knocked on the door softly. "Sara? Are you in there?"

Silence.

He didn't like doing this, but he was afraid something was wrong. "Sara, I'm coming in." He called. 

Still no answer.

Nick opened the door slowly. "Sar?"

There she was. Sitting on the floor in between the toilet and the bath tub. She didn't even look up to acknowledge his presence. 

Nick walked over and knelt down next to her. She was holding a box in her hands. It looked like she was reading the back of it, but her expression was blank. It looked as if she had read the box 20 times already. 

Nick took the box from her hands, and gasped when he saw what it was.

"Sara?"

She took a deep breath, but still said nothing. 

Nick set the box up on the sink, and then sat down facing Sara. She stared straight ahead, but she wasn't looking at him. No. It seemed as if she was looking right through him. Nick lifted a hand to her face, and cupped her cheek. She flinched, and blinked several times, letting a few stray tears roll down her cheeks. 

"I can't do it," she whispered.

"Do what?"

Sara looked up at the box. "I can't."

"What makes you think you're pregnant, Sara?" He didn't know what else to ask. 

Sara let out what was probably supposed to be a sarcastic laugh, but all it did was cause her to cry a little bit more.

"I'm sorry. Look, I'm a guy. I don't understand these things." Nick tried to lighten the situation, and felt a little better when Sara looked at him, and smiled.

"My period was late."

"Oh."

"And I am kind of having morning sickness." Sara added.

"Sara, look. You've been under a lot of stress. With the explosion, and Hank-" He stopped. "Hank. He did this to you didn't he?" Nick balled his hand into a fist.

"Nick. It's not his fault. It takes two, ya know?"

Nick found Sara's hands, and enclosed them in his. "Look, Sara. This is something you shouldn't put off. I'll go out in the hall, OK? You need to know one way or the other." He stood up, bring her with him. 

Sara didn't let go of his hands, though. She looked away from him. "What if –"

"You are pregnant?" Nick finished giving her hand a squeeze. 

She looked back up into his deep brown eyes. 

"Then I'll take care of you." With that Nick leaned in, kissed her forehead, gave her hands another squeeze and left the bathroom.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Same disclaimers as usual.

A/N: For story purposes, Hank and Sara broke up after around the time Play with Fire took place. Let's just say Crash and Burn and PWF happened in the same week. 

Now for some thank you's:

MissyJane: Thanks for reviewing all of stories! You're awesome!

krisnina77:  I like it when Nick plays the hero, too. (It's so much easier to write him that way, too. J

honeybear: I think the song really fits Sara to a "T". 

spikes_storm: During season 2, I actually liked Hank… I thought he was cute. But oh, now I hate him! 

Tish: Here ya go! Last chapter!

lj: Thanks, and yes, he is!

River Goddess: Thanks!

csi424: Thanks so much!

Nepeace: Here ya go!

RK9: Sorry, but Grissom and Catherine were only in the first chapter, and Warrick wasn't in it at all. I know I know… I'm a horrible person, but I did add him to my other stories… ;-)

When Miss Independent walked away  
  


No time for love that came her way  
  


She looked in the mirror and thought today  
  


What happened to miss no longer afraid?  
  


It took some time for her to see  
  


How beautiful love could truly be  
  


No more talk of why can't that be me  
  


I'm so glad I finally see...

Sara sat down on the toilet. She had one minute. One minute until the rest of her life was decided for her. In one minute she would either be a mother-to-be, or just another hit and miss. She had one minute. But that one minute, she knew, would seem like an eternity.

What is this feelin' takin' over?  
  


Thinkin' no one could open my door  
  


Surprise (surprise), it's time (yeah)  
  


To feel (to feel) what's real  
  


What happened to Miss Independent?  
  


No longer need to be defensive  
  


Goodbye (goodbye), old you  
  


When love, when love is true...

Nick leaned up against the wall. Maverick had come to sit at his feet, but he didn't even notice. The words from the song on the radio were playing over and over in his head again. He kept picturing different scenarios with Sara, and this possible pregnancy. He didn't know how, but he was going to help her, no matter what the outcome. 

The bathroom door opened, and Sara stepped out, closing it behind her.

"Well?"

"I didn't look yet. I needed to tell you something. And I figure now is as good of a time as any." She led me out to the couch, and we both sat down.

"Sara, you know you can tell me anything."

"I know. It's just kinda hard. Especially when I had almost forgotten about it." She looked away from him.

"If I am pregnant, it wouldn't be the first time." She said quickly.

Her words hit Nick like a ton of bricks, and at first he thought he was imagining things.

"I was only 21." Sara continued. "My boyfriend, Joe, came over once when I was really drunk. We had sex, and I got pregnant. I didn't want to believe it at first, so I didn't even bother going to the doctor, or even telling anyone. But when I was about 2 months pregnant, I think, I was taken to the hospital with severe abdominal pain, and heavy bleeding. I had a miscarriage."

Nick felt his heart drop down to his toes as soon as the words hit his ears. Tears started to stream down Sara's already damp cheeks. Nick pulled Sara into a hug. He couldn't think of anything to say. So he just held her. Sara buried her face in Nick's chest, and let the sobs come to her. Nick rubbed her back soothingly, and kissed the top of her head. He soon felt tears of his own start to fall down his cheeks, and dampen her hair.

Soon Sara pulled away. "There's more."

Nick just nodded, and gave her hand a squeeze.

"I broke up with Joe after that. I blamed him. I blamed myself. I lost the baby, because of stress from school, and because I was really malnourished. I barely weighed 100 pounds, and I was already 5'8". I killed my baby." She stopped, but not long enough for Nick to do or say anything. "Joe died a week after we broke up. All of his friends blamed me. They said I broke his heart, and he was so overcome with grief that he wasn't thinking clearly. He died in a car accident. Some of his friends think he committed suicide because of me. He never even knew about the baby."

Silence overcame them, and Nick took this opportunity to pull her into another hug. This time it lasted a bit longer. He whispered simple things to help calm Sara down like "its ok." And "I'll take care of you." 

Sara pulled away.

"Come on. I'll look at it with you." Nick said standing up, and pulling Sara with him.

They walked in silence to the bathroom. Sara first, then Nick. 

Sara stepped up to the little pregnancy test, and picked it up. She took a deep breath, and looked at the results. 

Nick put his arm around her waist, and rested his hand on the small of her back. 

Sara took a deep breath, and looked into Nick's loving eyes. 

"It's negative."

The End

So? What did you all think? Good? Bad? Love it? Hate it? Just let me know! You know what to do!

By the way. The song that was used was "Miss Independent" by Kelly Clarkson. Yes, it was the same song throughout the whole story. LOL J


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